Well, here we go. My fifth (and final, unless something happens to change that) fanfic. You can thank Valerio for this one, as his prodding, among other things (which will become more apparent as the story progresses) gave me the idea. This one will break one of my writing rules, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

If you haven't yet, read this first. It's the prequel, and will be referenced many times in this story.

All characters and scenarios are owned by Rickolas P. Griffin and are not being used for profit or slander.

*********************************

The fresh snow was falling at a slow speed upon Babylon Gardens. It was the first snow of the winter season, but was unusually late. The street lamps reflected off of the white flakes, contrasting sharply with the dark night sky. The scent of pine trees was in the air, and the fresh Christmas decorations gave the whole neighborhood a colorful ambience that everyone anticipated with excitement. Overall, the beautiful night, mixed with the pure snow and mild red and green was a sight to behold.

Sasha stepped out from her house, her favorite scarf wrapped around her neck. She took a big whiff of the air, smiling at the decorations and beauty that the season had brought. She then began to stroll down the street, heading towards the "Good Ol' Dogs" clubhouse for the first Christmas party of the year.

At the other end of the street, a jacketed Fox was currently attempting to drag a screaming King out of Miles' house.

"Ergh, come on, King! You've got to come to the Christmas party! Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise!"

King clutched at the door frame with his small paws; a rather impressive feat for a corgi.

"NO FLIPPIN' WAY!!!!! I AM NOT LEAVING THE COMFORT OF MY HOUSE FOR A STUPID CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!!!!!! THERE ARE, LIKE, FIFTEEN MORE BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! I'LL GO TO ONE OF THOSE!!!!!!!!"

"Urrrg, no dice, King! I'm getting you there, if it's the last, rrrrrrrrrrrrrrh, thing I do! You will not, hrrrrrmph, hole yourself up this year!"

At that instance, Fox successfully found the strength to rip King from off the door frame. King hit the ground, dazed by the impact, and laid there for a moment. Fox took this opportunity to grab the corgi by the torso, and throw him over his shoulder, carrying him towards the clubhouse. King snapped out of his daze, took a second to process what was happening, and began to panic.

Miles' pups joined in on the waving, while laughing at King's humbling position, as well as Lucretia, Mile's mate. They continued to wave and call out to the two until they were out of sight; at that point, Miles leaned over, and whispered in Lucretia's ear.

".......Lucretia, I'm confused. Is that part of the ritualistic behavior for domestic canines at this time of year?"

-------------------------------

King gave up quickly, and gained a look of defeat. He leaned his head on his paw and became silent, letting Fox carry him without struggle. Fox responded to this, saying, "So, you've finally decided that going to this party is a good idea?"

"No, I've decided that you weigh substantially more than me, and that there's no point in fighting, 'cause I can't win. "

Fox chuckled. "Either way, it makes my job easier. Seriously, this isn't even the gift exchange. It's just an informal dance. Most of the focus is going to be on the month's plans, anyway. So you don't have to worry."

"You say that like I should actually believe it."

Fox jumped over a pile of bricks, throwing his shoulder up and knocking the wind out of King in the process.

"HURG You did that on purpose!"

"What????Nooooooooooo, why would I do that on purpose?" Fox asked, smiling broadly.

"You're not making this any better for me. Seriously, how could this possibly be worse?"

"Hi King!"

King's face went blood red at the female voice that sounded behind him. His head turned quickly, to see Sasha standing there, a big smile on her face. Behind her was the Good Ol' Dogs Clubhouse.

"Hi Foxy-Woxy-Loxadaisy-Muffin! I'm so glad you both came to the dance! This'll make it even better!"

Fox was about to reply, when he felt a wiggling sensation on his shoulder. He looked over to see King doing something that looked like multiple convulsions, and giving him a looked that said, "LET ME DOWN LET ME DOWN BY ALL THAT IS PURE AND GOOD IN THIS WORLD LET ME DOWN". He acquiesced, dropping King quickly. King mumbled something incoherently, and shot into the clubhouse, keeping his blushing face out of sight to keep himself from more embarrassment.

Fox watched King rush in, and smiled at Sasha, saying, "Nice to see you, too, Sasha. Is Bino here?"

Sasha nodded, saying, "Oh, he's been here for a couple of hours. Rex's foot is broken, so he had to pick up the extra work. He wasn't happy, but you know how much leading the Good Ol' Dogs club means to him."

Fox nodded knowingly, and replied, "Well, it's nice to see him taking his role seriously. Shall we see the fruits of his labor?" He asked, extending his elbow for her to take.

The Clubhouse was covered by classic christmas attire, from trees to lights to wreaths to the giant inflatable Santa Dog in the corner aptly nicknamed "Santa Paws" by the club. Reindeer wall posters hung on one wall, and there were a few elf statues scattered around.

The clubhouse itself was a marvel. It had originally been an abandoned house within the neighborhood, damaged beyond habitability by termites and rain damage, and had sat there for years without any help whatsoever. However, Bino and Fido had found it while they were still pups, and decided that it would make a perfect clubhouse. Fido, being a responsible dog, decided to write Henry Milton, the owner of the house, and the whole neighborhood, to ask if they could use it for club activities. Mr. Milton, not only being a philanthropist, but also having a special place in his heart for budding police dogs (a position that Fido had wanted almost all his life and one that he showed great potential in), one-uped their request. Within the month, the house had been torn down, and construction on the new clubhouse was under way; three months later, the new building was complete, and became "The Good Ol' Dogs Club" clubhouse.

Architecturally, the building was far more impressive than anyone would have imagined. The main entrance led into a huge ballroom, complete with a sound system (dogs in Babylon Gardens didn't have a history of being musical, and they couldn't invite cats to play at the Good Ol' Dogs Club), stage, and working strobe and LED lights, though the latter weren't really used during the holidays. To the right was the entrance to the kitchen, specifically designed for dogs to use to prepare party food and snacks. It only large enough to comfortably fit about five pets, but the marble counters and cherry wood and finish were dazzling together.

To the left of the ballroom was a smaller meeting room, designed to only hold about fifty dogs. However, the small size of the club membership-wise had caused this room to become the main room for meetings, partly to help everyone have an easier time interacting, and partly because Bino really liked using the podium. This room had a side exit that allowed dogs to cut across the block to the other street, and also had plenty of chairs.

Next to the meeting room were the restrooms, also specifically designed for dogs, and beyond that was the staircase, which led to a balcony that looked out on the forest. Patio furniture accented the balcony, including a swinging lounge, and several tables. The balcony had a separate sound system, which was set up to play slower tracks.

Finally, connected to the balcony was a square railing that overlooked the ballroom, and the attic, where everything seasonal and temporary was stored until use.

Everything in the clubhouse had been payed for in full by Mr. Milton.

---------------

King rushed into the building, and headed straight for the punch bowl. Fox had forced him to come, but he couldn't force King to participate. King was determined to be a wall flower tonight, as to keep from being embarrassed in any form. That was ruined, however, by a shadow that enveloped him.

"Whatcha dooin' over here all by yourself, corgi?"

King turned around, petrified by the large mass that was Rex. The large bulldog dwarfed the already short King, and his naturally aggressive expression made King sure he would lose liquid at some point if he kept near the dog. In short, Rex was intimidating. The cast on his right foot only added to the intimidation level, making Rex look like he had been in a fight.

As if that wasn't enough, Rex walked up closer, closing in the space far more than necessary, and stared down at the dog. "You got a problem with parties or something?"

"E-er, n-no sir, I-I, um, I-"

"Not many dogs like wall flowers here. It ruins the mood." At this point, Rex leaned forward, and stared King in the eye. King was very close to relieving himself at that point, but somehow kept what little composure he had left.

"You like ruinin' the mood, corgi?"

"Nosirnotatallsir."'

Rex stared at King for a second, then grabbed his paw and put something in it. He then leaned in and whispered, "Parties are meant to have fun at. Go have fun." He then stood up, and hobbled off, scanning the room. King blanked, processing what had just happened, then looked down at his paw. In it was a gingerbread cookie in the shape of a man; still slightly warm and giving off a light aroma. King looked back up at Rex, slowly bit into the cookie, and shrugged, walking into the crowd.

-----------------------

Sasha waved goodbye to Fox, and wandered farther in, not really looking for anything to do. She enjoyed these parties, more so than most of the pets. That's not to say that the other pets didn't enjoy the parties; every dog in the neighborhood (save for Joey, to everyone's puzzlement) looked forward to every event hosted by The Good Ol' Dogs Club with baited breath. Sasha just baited her breath even more than everyone else. She loved watching all of the dogs who came to the parties, watch them be happy, watch them enjoy the festivities. It was nice to see happiness for a change........

Out of the corner of her eye, Sasha spied Bino, gulping down orange sodas and telling jokes to an uninterested crowd. Smiling, she walked up to him. "Biney-Winey-Shining Starkins! This party is so lovely!"

Bino turned an intoxicated eye to Sasha, and commented, "Uh coursit is! I spent awl *hic* day wurkin' on the dekerashuns and *hic* stuff! Say, Shasha, J'ya ever hear the one about Santa and moushe hu lived in the chimnee? *hic*"

Bino was visibly getting more irritated. This probably had to do with the copious amount of soda he had consumed, but with his temper, it was hard to tell. "Wudohg! I ain't danshin'! And another thing-" Bino stepped forward to chide Sasha more, but didn't notice a spill from an earlier soda he had. Stepping right into the puddle, he slid forward, slamming into the snack table set up. This wouldn't have been too much of a problem, save for the punch bowl set up on the very edge. With a wiggle, the punch bowl shifted just enough to slowly tip, and come down right on Bino's head. Instantly, Bino was covered from head to paw in cherry flavored punch, snapping him out of his stupor, but also coloring his fur red. He stood up, taking the punch bowl off, and shaking his head. He then looked down at his fur, and gained a look of shock at the color.

"SaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sasha was startled by her name being screamed. "....Biney?"

Looking red with anger, as well as punch, Bino stormed up to his girlfriend, and cried, "This is all because of you! If you hadn't tried to force me to dance, I wouldn't be red!"

"Biney, I-"

"No, I don't wanna hear it! You're always causing me trouble, and I've had enough of it! From here on out, you and I are through!"

Through.

Sasha couldn't believe what she had just heard.

Through.

The lights and sounds in the club began to disappear.

Through.

She was surrounded by blackness.

Through.

All alone.

Bino walked off towards the bathroom, mumbling about getting the punch out of his fur. Sasha stood there, dumbfounded, trying to figure out what had just happened. Then, as it sunk in, she began to cry slightly. Not wanting to be seen crying, she began to head for the balcony, to be alone. However, the tears increased, and as the tears increased, so did her speed. She ended up sprinting for the stairs, bumping into dogs, and choking back tears. She bumped into one final dog, and shot up the stairs, not able to hold back the tears anymore.

-----------------

King walked up to where the stairs to the balcony started, and stopped, watching the party continue. He had actually spent the time just wandering, and taking in all the sights and sounds and smells. However, that had actually been fun to him. He was unused to seeing this much happiness, though he knew it had been around him the whole time. It gave him an odd peace, watching all of the dogs. Seeing them show their happiness, seeing them enjoying themselves, seeing them enjoying each other, the holidays, life.......

Maybe this dog thing isn't so bad..........

Suddenly, a dog brushed by King, causing him to stumble forward from losing his balance. He cried out, "Hey!" and turned to call the dog out, but whoever it was hadn't notice. The dog ran up the stairs quickly, and King thought he heard a sob. He stopped, taken off by this sound. Then, looking at his paw, he realized that he had dropped the cookie that Rex had given him. Looking down, he saw that the cookie had crumbled upon hitting the ground, and was now broken and cracked. He paused, and picked it up without making a sound, taking it to the nearest trash can and dropping the pieces in. He then went back to the stairs, and paused, contemplating whether or not he should go up and check to make sure that dog was ok.

After a bit, he sighed, and mumbled to himself, "I'm going to regret this......" and began heading up the stairs.

As he reached the top, he looked around, trying to find out where the dog had gone. Quickly, he picked up the sound of sobbing, from the right corner of the balcony. Peeking around the lounge, he saw the dog, leaning over the railing and sobbing uncontrollably. Instantly, the discomfort of the situation rose up in his chest. He fought it down, and slowly head over, putting his paw on the dog's shoulder as he reached the dog.

"........Hey, you ok?"

The dog turned around quickly, and King found himself looking at the tear-stained face of Sasha.

Sasha's eyes grew wide when she realized who it was, and she began to vigorously wipe the tears from her face. "O-oh, King! I didn't know you were up here! I-I was just g-getting some fresh air is all!"

King paused, and replied, "I just came up here, actually. Why are you all alone up here?"

Sasha paused, and looked down at the railing with a sad look on her face.

"Bino broke up with me."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

Sasha gained a painful look on her face, but replied, "Bino broke up with me."

Once again, King was taken aback. He hadn't expected the news, and hadn't really been aware that they were dating to begin with.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That-that has to be rough. Maybe you should go home, and rest, you know, so-" King was interrupted by the shaking of Sasha's head.

"I.....can't go home. It's better for me to be here."

King was confused. "Wait, what? No, that's stupid, you should head home."

Sasha shook her head even harder. "No, I can't do that! I need to stay here."

"But your family is at home! Certainly, they would be better company than-"

This time, King was interrupted by the tears welling up in Sasha's eyes. He stopped, awestruck by the reaction. Without thinking, he put his paw on her shoulder, and began to rub her back, saying, "Hey, hey, none of that. Come on, it's ok."

Sasha gulped down the tears, and said, "M-my dad's kind of mean. He's drunk a lot, and sometimes he hurts me, with his words or with his belt. I'd rather be here, p-please."

King couldn't believe what he was hearing. "W-well, what about your mom? Surely she could........"

Sasha began to cry again at the mention of her mother, and could only force out, "Mama's dead." She then turned, and buried her face in King's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

King's first reaction was to blush intensely at the female who's face was buried in his shoulder fur. His second was to be shocked at what he had just heard. His third, was to wrap his arms around Sasha, and hug her softly, trying to comfort her. "Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay."

Sasha continued to sob, unable to hold it in anymore. He just stood there and cried, for minutes, finally letting out all the pent up emotion, all the pent up sadness. and all the while, King continued to hold her, softly consoling her.

"It's okay, Sasha, it's okay."

After a bit, Sasha began to speak again. "It's just difficult to keep going like this! I don't have anyone who really cares about me! Daddy's always mad and lonely, Mama's gone, Bino doesn't understand me, and no one else knows me at all! Sure all the boy dogs give me stuff on Valentine's day, but that's just because they like me!" Sasha stopped crying, and turned back to the railing. "I try to take it day by day, but sometimes it's just too much."

She finished, and began to stare out at the forest. It was a pretty sight, the forest being lit up by Christmas lights. It made her feel a little better, though she wasn't sure how King would respond. He wasn't talking, which she took to mean he didn't know how to react. He's probably left already; I scared him off.

The music that started playing took her off guard. She looked over at the sound booth, and saw King, starting a slow ballad. He walked over, and with a blushing face, offered his paws out for a dance. He looked absolutely petrified, but responded, "L-let's fix that, shall we?"

Sasha paused out of awe, but slowly accepted. They began to sway around the balcony on beat with the music, turning and stepping in rhythm. At first, it was awkward; the comical appearance of King dancing with a dog almost twice his height combined with the fact that he wouldn't make eye contact was almost too much. Quickly, however, the two became comfortable, smoothing out the dance and relaxing. King began to smile, and Sasha giggled at his goofy look. The two began to laugh, and continued swirling around.

------------------------

Several songs later, the two collapsed on the lounge, laughing and panting at their odd dance. They relaxed for a second, resting their tired feet. Sasha glanced at King, and said, "Thank you, King. That was lovely." She looked up at the stars for a second, and began to rub the edge of her scarf, which was laying on the lounge next to her.

"My mama made this scarf for me. It was a Christmas present from her when I was little; it matches hers exactly."

King also looked up at the stars, admiring their beauty, and contemplating what Sasha had just said.

"If it makes you feel any better, Sasha, I've had problems, too, as of late." Instantly, King wished he hadn't said that, as he had been thinking about being turned into a Corgi by Pete. "Um, my owner disappeared over the summer, so I've been feeling really lonely, too." It was the truth, but he breathed a sigh of relief inwardly anyways, having diverted a disaster.

Sasha looked up at King. "Really?"

"Y-yeah. And I had lots of trouble as a ki-er, pup, too. So you're not alone."

Sasha didn't respond, but looked back up at the stars.

King didn't like the silence, but wasn't sure how to respond.

"So, yeah if you ever need anythi-"

It happened so fast, King really wasn't aware what had happened. In a flash, he felt a pair of warm, soft lips pressed against his; in another, it was over. Stunned, he looked down at Sasha, who was blushing, her eyes closed and her mouth in a poorly concealed smile. Quickly, however, she realized what she had done, and turned toward King quickly.

"Oh my gosh, King, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, it just came out, and I....."

Sasha stopped as King began to look at her intently. He sat there, looking at Sasha with a strange look in his eye.

She's so beautiful, he thought to herself.

Slowly, he began to lean in, putting his paw behind Sasha's head. Sasha leaned in also, closing her eyes, and preparing for what was coming.

This kiss was longer, and expected on both sides. King could feel the warmth of her lips, and the softness of her fur. She felt fragile in his paws, as he held her. To Sasha, his paws felt strong, but not hurtful; they felt like paws that could protect her and make her feel loved.

After what seemed like ages, they pulled apart, both blushing profusely. Sasha leaned over, putting her head on King's shoulder and laid there as they both looked at the Christmas lights that signified the beauty that the Christmas season had always brought with it.

-----------------------

Bino came out of the bathroom, completely clean, with a towel wrapped around his neck. The party had finished awhile ago, and a few pets were cleaning up. Looking for Sasha, he headed up the stairs to the balcony. "Sasha?" he called, looking around. He peeked into the lounge, and found her sitting by herself.

"Oh, there you are. Listen, I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I didn't mean it; you don't really cause me a lot of trouble. So, we're back together again, okay?"

Sasha looked up at Bino and smiled. "Of course, Biney. I forgive you."

Bino gave his iconic smirk, and replied, "Great. Let me walk you home."

Sasha nodded, and stood up, letting Bino wrap his arm around hers in an escort. The two headed down the stairs, and out the door, towards her home.

Back inside, Fox was taking one of the the trash bags of a trashcan by the stairs, when he saw something odd. He reached in, and pulled out a whole gingerbread cookie, in the shape of a dog. Confused, he called over one of the dogs in charge of the snacks. "Hey, who made the gingerbread dogs? I don't remember seeing these."

The other dog shrugged. "I don't know; we didn't make those for the party."

Fox gave him and odd look, and threw it back in. "It's just odd, is all. It's the only cookie in here, and it's not broken at all. Kind of a waste, if you ask me," he added, taking off the trash bag and carrying it towards the kitchen.

The dog watched Fox walk off, and said softly, "Ah, if only you knew." His eyes flashed yellow, and he disappeared into thin air.

"Is that part of the ritualistic behavior for domestic canines at this time of year?"

Nope, its just King freaking out again. Ha! Poor King, he never catches a break does he. But they this is a great start. continue working on it.

Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:55 pm

Tiggy

Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 2:38 amPosts: 3916Location: Sweeeden :3

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

Awesome brawly :3

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Jason Mraz wrote:

My goal is to show everyone that they, too, can do what they love to do.

Daggy wrote:

Look a shadowpriest, what a cutie.... POW

Thu Aug 19, 2010 2:19 am

valerio

Game Master

Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 6:53 amPosts: 15353Location: Italy

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

dear Brawler, I am just happy to serve and give inspiration (and prodding) to my fellow forumites.Hope that this really is NOT your final creative effort, that would be SUCH a shame! Oh, and yes, the Fox and King scene was really sooo like them! Loved it!!

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Thu Aug 19, 2010 7:34 am

Barkeron

Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:01 pmPosts: 870

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

valerio wrote:

Hope that this really is NOT your final creative effort, that would be SUCH a shame!

Hope that this really is NOT your final creative effort, that would be SUCH a shame!

Yeah it would.

Ha, thanks, guys. I'd love to write some more, but five fanfics in the info thread is a lot as is. (Actually, it's three right now, but I assume it'll be five at some point, considering how Buck always updates it eventually )

Unfortunately, this fanfic has been delayed for a bit. Look at my post in the announcements of leave and return thread to find out why.

You make me wonder if I'm actually good at writing or just appealing to your desire for fanfiction.

_________________DOH HO HO WELL THEN

Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:18 pm

Tiggy

Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 2:38 amPosts: 3916Location: Sweeeden :3

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

Nono, you're excellent :3

_________________

Jason Mraz wrote:

My goal is to show everyone that they, too, can do what they love to do.

Daggy wrote:

Look a shadowpriest, what a cutie.... POW

Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:19 pm

valerio

Game Master

Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 6:53 amPosts: 15353Location: Italy

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

Teh Brawler wrote:

You make me wonder if I'm actually good at writing or just appealing to your desire for fanfiction.

if you weren't good at writing, you couldn't appeal our desire for fanfiction

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Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:20 pm

44R0NM10

Former Mod of the Aura

Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:52 pmPosts: 4011Location: England

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

I thought you had full confidence in yourself.

Truth be told, your style is probably my fav'

(I have my views on everybody who's done fanfiction on this website. I like all you guys, but Brawler's takes the cake. Just enough detail, just enough simplicity.)(that's not saying you guys are bad, just not in my full tastes)

I was going to make it a surprise, but I guess I should come out with it now.

I have another fanfic planned, and have for awhile, though not before I wrote that this was my last one. It's going to be a long one, hopefully Dean long (and good), but I'm not telling you who it's about and what the scenario is.

So, meh. You forced it out of me.

_________________DOH HO HO WELL THEN

Fri Sep 03, 2010 7:39 pm

Kaido

Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:34 pmPosts: 302Location: England, tallyho!

Re: Housepets: A Spark from the Matches

Oooh, well I look forward to reading it!

Though I do feel bad about making you announce it before you wanted to, sorry. D:

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"FlintTheSquirrel cries for Kaido. He is the only one who understood me not understanding things. "

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